On the Rooftops
by readingwizard96
Summary: One-shot set during Corvo's assassination missions and after Emily is first found. Corvo finds himself alone one night in the Old Ports District lost in his thoughts. Emily finds herself struggling with the pain left by her mother's death. Together, the two help each other overcome the the darkness that dwells within their minds.


Disclaimer: I own no part of Dishonored, nor do I intend copy right infringement. All rights reserved to the original creators

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><p>Corvo sat atop the roof of his shabby loft. It was a cool evening and the sun was slowly slipping from the sky but the Old Ports District was noisy with activity. Below him, Corvo could hear the loud music and even louder voices coming from the Hound Pitts Pub. The others were celebrating. They saw it fit to celebrate as yet another target had been eliminated, bringing the Loyalists just one step closer to their goal.<p>

Corvo listened to the ruckus for a moment as the voices mixed with laughter and grew louder and louder. _Men and liquor_, Corvo thought, _an unforgiving mix._ Corvo couldn't quite join in the same merriment the others felt. It was him after all who had taken a life and others didn't think much of it. Corvo had tried to enter the pub, after being asked numerous times, but with each foot fall bringing him closer to the pub's entrance every part of his being had refused to enter. In the end, Corvo had stood silently staring at the wooden door feeling sick until he finally couldn't take anymore and blinked to the catwalk above. Corvo found himself sitting on the roof alone, but it didn't matter for he was often alone.

_ Sitting up here where it's airy is better than any stuffy pub_, Corvo thought to himself, _at least that's what Emily would say._ But Corvo knew the real reason for why he remained on the roof while the others fraternized in the pub. The answer was on his hand. Corvo looked down at his tattooed hand and rubbed at the little marking. With that mark Corvo was an instrument of death and the idea didn't settle well. Corvo let out a sign, he would always protect Emily at any cost. But sometimes Corvo wondered what the costs were turning him into. Corvo continued to rub at his hand, becoming lost in his thoughts, _that's why_, he told himself, _he remained on the roof_. He would not celebrate death.

"Corvo?"

Startled, Corvo blinked as if coming out of a trance. Corvo blinked as his eyes adjusted to sudden darkness. It was no longer dusk but night. _I've been here awhile,_ Corvo thought. His body felt stiff from lack of movement and the air had become chillier. Corvo glanced down at his hand, clenching his fist slightly to illuminate the mark. Dim blue light shown on bright red agitated skin. Skin that looked like it'd been rubbed for hours.

"Corvo." Corvo looked up to see Emily standing on the in the middle of the rickety catwalk barefoot and in noting but her underclothes. Her thin arms were wrapped around her small frame and she shivered as a breeze passed by.

"Emily, what are you doing up here?" Corvo asked. But Emily didn't answer, instead she walked unsteadily towards Corvo until she stood in front of him.

"I couldn't sleep. Callista snores and everybody's making too much noise." Emily finally said.

"Callista doesn't snore, does she?"

"Yes she does! It's like living with a moose!" Emily exclaimed, scrunching up her nose.

Corvo reached over to the hot-headed little girl and poked her playfully on the nose. Emily jumped back a little and giggled. Corvo smiled, something he never did except around Emily, and when she was alive, Emily's mother.

"Well, her snoring can't be that bad. You have to be nice Emily, she's your teacher."

"I know." Emily grumbled.

"And if I remember correctly," Corvo said and he playfully tussled Emily's hair, "you used to sleep so soundly that a herd of flying whales outside your window couldn't wake you. And if my memory serves me even better you slept through an entire opera that you, your mother and I attended together."

Emily pushed Corvo's hand off her head and put her hands on her hips, "That opera was a total bore!" she proclaimed, Mother knew that too. It's just that," Emily's head dropped as she wrapped her arms around herself again before whispering, "I liked sleeping then, now, it's just not so good."

Corvo looked Emily and his thoughts drifted to the heart that lay hidden in his room and the whispers it spoke. _"She sees more than she is telling. Young Lady Emily."_ Emily wasn't all that happy anymore. The girl she had been while her mother was alive was locked away deep inside, if not already lost. Seeing her mother killed before her had severed Emily's childhood. Corvo ached to make Emily happy again, a task he knew may become impossible. Corvo looked at Emily and noticed her shivering again, the winds were battering the little girl.

"You cold." He asked.

Emily nodded. Corvo stood up and took off his long coat. Draping it around her shoulders, Emily stuck her arms through the enormous sleeves. Corvo sat back to his ledge and patted his lap. Emily darted eagerly towards Corvo. But her foot became entangled with the long coat. Emily yelped as she began to fall, but Corvo easily scooped the girl up and placed her on his lap. Emily's mouth hung wide open and her eyes were doe-eyed in shock. She was quite the sight. Corvo began to laugh, hard. The grown man's sides began to hurt as Emily continued to look dumbstruck. Emily blinked and realized that Corvo was laughing at her almost falling. Emily's face glowed in the night, as embarrassment turned her red.

"It wasn't funny! I could have fallen off the roof and DIED!" Emily stated as she tried to give Corvo her best scowl.

Corvo couldn't help but laugh more. Emily huffed, crossing her arms and slouching down in Corvo's laugh. If he was going to be impossible, she'd ignore him. Corvo slowly stopped laughing, but was left to deal with hiccups. _Look at the state I'm in_, Corvo thought, _such a stern Lord Protector I can be. _Corvo lifted Emily up so that he could look her in the eye as she sat, instead of slouched.

"You were never in any danger. Not while I'm with you. Lord Protector. That's still my official title. I will protect you and continue protecting you forever. You'll be the most protected Empress, ever. You could even call it stalking." Corvo said.

Emily smiled a little as she glanced at Corvo but she wouldn't look him in the eye. Looking down, Emily shifted her attention to playing with the frayed strings of Corvo's shirt. Corvo raised his hand and lightly touched Emily's chin. Bringing her head up to face him. Corvo heard a small sign escape from the little girl and noticed as Emily quickly wiped at her eyes.

"Emily, what is it?"

"Do you think I'll be a good empress? Like mama?" Emily whispered, "I miss her. I miss her so much." Emily sniffed as she began to cry.

"Oh, Emily." Corvo said as he wrapped his arms around the little girl. Emily seemed to break at Corvo's embrace. Tears flowed unending, and the girl gripped at Corvo with her hands and cried into his shirt. Corvo rocked slowly as Emily's body shook violently. "I miss her too Emily, it hurts, missing her, doesn't it?" Emily nodded in Corvo's shirt. Corvo stroked Emily's hair gently before continuing, "It hurts so much because you loved her, because I loved her. It's because of the love you had for your mother that I know you'll be a great empress."

"How do you know?"

"Because, you love, you care, you are brave, and smart, and growing up so fast." Corvo said as Emily's tears subsided. The girl sniffed a little and hiccuped but no more tears came. Emily wiggled in Corvo's arms until he let go. The girl sat up and looked at Corvo, jumping a little with each hiccup.

"Ah, now who's the one hiccuping?" Corvo joked at he gently wiped away the streaks on Emily's face.

"Corvo."

"Hmm."

"I love you."

Corvo stopped for moment his hand still hovering near Emily's face. Slowly he brought his hand down and simply stared at Emily. Emily fidgeted in Corvo's lap. "Corvo…**oomph**!" Suddenly, Corvo stood up, grabbing Emily as she tumbled off of him, and held the girl an arm's length away. Then just as fast, Corvo brought the girl to his face, where he lowered his head and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Corvo then hugged Emily, hugged her so tight the girl begged for relief. Corvo laugh and eased up on his bear hug. Emily in turn began to hug tighter.

"Emily?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's have some fun."

Corvo slung Emily to his back. Emily became quite confused as Corvo began to climb higher up on the building. They were no longer on the ledge of the balcony, they now stood at the ledge on the top of the building. Emily looked around, they were too high and to far apart from the other building to jump anywhere safely.

"Corvo, what are we doing?"

"I'm going to show you what flying is like."

"WHAT?" Emily yelled. The girl gripped Corvo even tighter as the man peered over the edge.

"Good job Emily, make sure you hold on tight just like that." Corvo said. The man turned his head to peek at Emily, raising his tattooed hand so she could see it. "I'm not going to let anything hurt you, remember. It's just time we had some fun, something to make life a little less depressing. Don't you think so?"

Emily nodded as she gazed at Corvo's hand. The mark was pulsing a blue light that chased away the dark. Emily could feel as Corvo's body tensed with excitement. She had no fears around this man. He was like her father and she trusted him. Emily tighten her grip and burrowed her head into Corvo's back.

"I'm ready." She said.

"Good."

Corvo flexed his arms and took a few steps back. With a running start, Corvo chased after the edge of the building. Each bound bringing him closer and closer to the nothingness of air. Corvo embraced the nothingness and leapt...

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><p>Corvo and Emily were falling...<p>

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><p>The air whipped past the two as their descent accelerated. Corvo was laughing, Emily was screaming, not in fear but in excitement. Corvo reached out his hand toward the nearest ledge and in a blink, the two were there. From rooftop to rooftop, ledge to ledge, Corvo blinked Emily and himself across all of Old Ports District. Their screams and laughter filled the night and for a moment Corvo was no longer a murderer and Emily no longer an orphan. They were free from their burdens, free from their faults, and free from the darkness. On the rooftops there was peace, on the rooftops they were free.<p>

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><p>Thanks for reading, please leave a comment if you liked this story. I may add some other one-shots later.<p> 


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